Sidebar: Job-Hunt Myths

Many people arrive at b-school with unrealistic expectations of how a degree will change the job-hunting game, say Timothy Butler and James Waldroop, directors of MBA career-development programs at Harvard Business School. Beware of these three myths:

Myth 1: Your school will find you a job. "We dump a lot of fish in your lap," says Waldroop. "But if you don't take advantage of the career-skill lessons that your school offers, you're in for nothing more than a once-in-a-lifetime feast. Develop career skills for life."

Myth 2: Your best job connections will come through fellow students, faculty members, and on-campus recruiters. The key that really unlocks a B-school's network is its alumni database. "Every school has alumni who can help you win some great offers, but they can't help you if you can't find them," says Butler.

Myth 3: Cash in now. "Pick a job that will maximize your learning, not just your earning," advises Waldroop. "Three years from now, you want to be paid a lot to work on something that engages you."

Coordinates: Waldroop Butler Associates, www.careerdiscovery.com

Sidebar: Your First Day

What should you do on your first day at B-school? We asked Tim Albinson, who graduates this May from Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, where he is now the president of his class and a board member of Students for Responsible Business.

Have a beer with your new classmates. "The most important thing you'll take away from B-school are your relationships with your classmates," says Albinson. "Close the laptop, and have some fun. There will be plenty of time to stress out later."

Make a friend at the career center. "Sure, B-school is about learning and honing new skills, but it's getting a job offer that really matters. Take advantage of the lull that lasts until work really heats up, and start developing your job-search strategy today."

Find yourself a second-year mentor. "Most first-year students don't realize that their best sources of guidance are not their peers or professors, but their second-year classmates. These people were in your shoes 12 short months ago, and they successfully surfed that brutal first-year tidal wave of work. So cap the day by taking a B-school veteran out to dinner."

Coordinates: Tim Albinson, albinson@haas.berkeley.edu

Lisa Chadderdon (lisajchadderdon@yahoo.com) is a Fast Company staff writer. Senior Writer Cheryl Dahle (cdahle@fastcompany.com) contributed several of the sidebars.